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Monday, December 21, 2009

CANADIAN LABOUR-SUDBURY:

HEALTH CARE WORKERS SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH VALE INCO STRIKERS:

The strike against Vale Inco in Ontario and Newfoundland goes on into the holiday season. The community of Sudbury and many other labour groups continue to stand solidly behind the strikers. This strike is a critical test of strength. Will the multinationals be able to dictate whatever they want in Canada- backed up by their Conservative Party friends ? Or will they be forced to see reason and bargain fairly ? Out Sudbury way health care workers represented by Local 659 of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU) have come to the aid of their fellow workers during the Christmas season. The following is from the strike support site Fair Deal Now. For more on this story see also the website of the OPSEU.

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Sudbury Health Care Workers Back Vale Inco Strikers: ‘Time for us and other members of the community to show our support.’ – Yves Shank, OPSEU Local 659Sudbury, 21 Dec, 2009 – Sudbury area health care workers have made a $5,000 contribution to striking employees of the Vale Inco mining giant.

The Vale Inco employees, members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6500, have been off work since July, fighting massive cutback demands by the Brazilian-owned corporation. The company is demanding rollbacks despite Sudbury being its most profitable mining operation.The health care workers are members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE). They work at the Sudbury Regional Hospital, the Manitoulin Health Centre and the Sudbury Vascular Laboratory.

“As an active community partner, OPSEU Local 659 acknowledges the efforts and determination of their sisters and brothers at USW-6500 and vows to support them in this fight,” says Yves Shank, president of the local.

“Many of our members have family members on that picket line, and others have friends and relatives who are, have been or will be directly connected to the USW membership,” he notes.“It is time, particularly during the holiday season, for us and other members of the community to show our support in more concrete ways. We hope this donation will help these members maintain their resolve against a regressive, mean and punitive employer.”

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada’s largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good.